


Full Disclosure

by orphan_account



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Angst, Hartley in the pipeline, Hartley knows Harrison is a shady fuck, He's not actually ever a bad dude, M/M, Man I am not sorry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-28
Updated: 2017-08-28
Packaged: 2018-12-20 22:46:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 625
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11930910
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: "You could have had anything, you know."Or, why Hartley Rathaway didn't take control of his life after the particle accelerator exploded.





	Full Disclosure

**Author's Note:**

> I apologise sincerely for any typos, I was speed re-typing this 'cause it didn't copy correctly from the Tumblr post (Edit: which no longer exists).

"You could have had anything, you know," Cisco started, trying to remain authoritative as he started at Hartley through impenetrable glass.

"And how exactly do you reckon that?" Hartley looked smug, almost as if he know something Cisco didn't, and it made them question who truly had the upper hand in the situation.

"You were right about the particle accelerator. There would have been smart enough, compassionate enough people out there who would have taken your side. You may be a dick, Hartley, but I know you can pretend to be a likeable person. You could have gotten a new job after the explosion and left all of this mess behind. Forgotten about all of us."

"That was never an option," Hartley attempted to keep his airy demeanour but everything inside him was screaming for Cisco to just drop the subject.

"That was always an option."

"You think I could have just moved on with my life when I know that that scumbag still had even a modicum of power?" He was seething; wished he wasn't in this cell so Cisco could see clearly how genuine he was being, or better yet, so he could escape the conversation altogether. "He endangered the life of the only person left in this world I cared about."

Cisco seemed shocked by this admission. He hadn't known that Hartley cared about anyone with thee way he had treated the people he worked with. "Yourself?" He laughed, but he humour was thin and worn down.

Hartley finally averted his gaze, something akin to shame fighting it's way across his usually expertly schooled features. There were physical signs that he was holding himself back from something; fingers twitching almost imperceptibly, his frown leaning from manufactured to unintentional. It might have been enough for Cisco to take as a confirmation, to just walk away believing that Hartley Rathaway would care for nobody but himself, if he hadn't had been just close enough to the cell to hear Hartley's resigned sigh, and hear him almost inaudibly say "you".

Hartley was steadfastly refusing to look at him. Cisco was beginning to think that Hartley hadn't realised he'd been heard, and maybe he could have taken that for granted; could have just walked away then and ignored the numb, warm sensation clawing up his throat.

But that just wasn't an option either.

"Are you saying that you did... this," he was gesturing emphatically at the cell, encompassing Hartley's whole situation, "you gave up everything you had... for me?"

"Don't be absurd. You are not a centre of gravity, Cisquito, I do not revolve around you," Hartley was getting snappy but still refused to look at Cisco, closing off in the face of his carefully constructed front falling away. "I just wanted to get rid of him."

"No, that's not it either."

Now Hartley was furious, and it occurred to Cisco that he might be the kind of person who cries when they're angry.

"Was your god awful taste in music not enough, must you now find other means to torture me?"

"You're trying to protect me from him."

What were either of them supposed to say in the wake of that? Hartley slumped against the left wall of his cell, relinquishing any control he might have had over the situation. Cisco didn't stop starting, astonished and looking for any sign that Hartley was going to respond until he saw him wipe his eyes, and his suspicions about the kind of person Hartley was were confirmed.

He made a rash decision, cutting off surveillance to Hartley's cell.

"Hartley," Cisco spoke more softly than before, coming closer to the glass, trying to break down the barriers between them, "What do I need to know about Harrison Wells?"

**Author's Note:**

> Comments are like Bake-Off not moving from the BBC.


End file.
